From: Arthur Bloom (m35prod@optonline.net)
Date: Tue Feb 14 2006 - 19:35:35 PST
We liberated Normandy.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Glen Closson" <glen_closson@earthlink.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Soothing angst part Deux
| We invaded Normandy?
|
| -----Original Message-----
| >From: Jack Lee <milveh@dslextreme.com>
| >Sent: Feb 14, 2006 8:57 AM
| >To: Military Vehicles Mailing List <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
| >Subject: Re: [MV] Soothing angst part Deux
| >
| >You wanna talk public awareness? In the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia,
| >ignominious home of Ubonics, where we have a 4th rate, third world
education
| >system in K-12, kids often guessed my Ferret was probably from WWI and
they
| >had no clear distinction between WWI and WWII. Fewer kids still, knew
who
| >bombed Pearl Harbor. And the Normandy invasion...blank looks followed
by,
| >huh? Or that's where the US invaded the country of Normandy. We are not
| >talking 5 year olds either, I'm talking junior high and high school. A
6th
| >grade kid in India probably knows more than our average high school
| >graduate!
| >
| >Jack
| >
| >----- Original Message -----
| >From: <timothy.smith1@att.net>
| >To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
| >Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 8:10 AM
| >Subject: [MV] Soothing angst part Deux
| >
| >
| >> Well, I am aware that we history-minded types regularly assume that
folks
| >> still
| >> recognize our vehicles for what they actually are, when in fact many
folks
| >> now
| >> approach (by way of an example) a WWII US half-track and not only are
they
| >> unable to identify it, they don't even know who's side it fought for!
I
| >> know
| >> this sounds strange but it's true. Just spend a little time displaying
| >> your MV
| >> on the fringes, (unlike museums and living history events where the
| >> already
| >> history-minded tend to congregate) and you will hear young fathers
proudly
| >> telling their young sons that what they're looking at is a (insert any
| >> incredibly stupid thing here). So, for the benefit of the uneducated
or
| >> misinformed we curators of privately owned historical MVs have to start
| >> doing a
| >> better job when presenting our vehicles to the public. Otherwise, some
| >> numbskull is likely to lump us in with some of the kooky militia
nut-jobs
| >> we
| >> read about in the news. And perception is reality, brother.
| >>
| >> The MVPA owes this kind of thing to the membership. We all know how to
| >> display
| >> our vehicles, but we often times just don't make the extra effort. I'm
as
| >> guilty as the next guy but I also know that quality in displays
doesn't
| >> necessarily equate to quantity. Displays can be economical or extreme
but
| >> MV's
| >> MUST be viewed in context. If one goes to a museum, one already has an
| >> appreciation for history. But our privately owned vehicles are rarely
| >> displayed
| >> in that arena, making it all the more important for us to offer and
show
| >> the
| >> historical perspective of our vehicles. The public is paranoid right
now;
| >> frightened of absolutely EVERYTHING! Display your armored vehicle
without
| >> a
| >> historical context, they are as likely to come away from looking at a
| >> privately
| >> owned half-track thinking, WOW, there's a lot of heavily armed and
armored
| >> kooks
| >> out there and we have to disarm and disarmor them for our own
| >> safety!...regardless of how well you explain yourself. And I think we
all
| >> know
| >> how kooky we can look at times. This is where being dressed in MVPA
| >> clothing is
| >> the tie-breaker. It gives us, as individuals, credibility.
| >>
| >> Yeh, MVPA should agree upon and offer up some simple display
guidelines.
| >> For
| >> example, I have a guideline for our parade expeditions. It involves
| >> vehicle-mounted weapons. And it goes something like this. Display
your
| >> vehicle
| >> mounted weapon (covered or uncovered) in a stowed position (i.e.
limbered)
| >> facing directly forward or rearward but in no case shall it be pointed
| >> toward
| >> the crowds along the route. Further, we do not handle these weapons in
| >> any way.
| >> Do not touch or lean on the weapons.
| >>
| >> Weapons shall not be loaded or have the appearance of being loaded.
| >> Visitors to the vehicles shall not be permitted to manipulate or handle
| >> weapons. Unfortunately this rule also includes veterans, who we
| >> acknowledge have earned the right to handle weapons but who do not have
| >> the right to injure the public perception of our hobby. Arrangements
can
| >> always be made for this to happen privately.
| >>
| >> I only organize my group's participation in the parade. I have no
| >> authority over other group members because each owner is the captain of
| >> his own ship. I do hold sway over the group by explaining the 'whys'
of
| >> these guidlines. They're a sensible lot.
| >>
| >> But the variety of guidlines we agree upon may change depending upon
what
| >> we are doing. Certainly if it is a private display (say, for a
Veteran's
| >> organization) we relax things a bit but for public stuff we are always
on
| >> our guard against misperception.
| >>
| >> TJ
| >>
| >>
| >> -------------- Original message ----------------------
| >> From: "Darrell Ramsell" <daram@comcast.net>
| >>> TJ
| >>>
| >>> These are some very nice ideas. I wonder if the MVPA would consider
| >>> adding a
| >>> section to their website on "How to display your vehicle, Do's and
| >>> Don'ts".
| >>> I think this would be very helpful.
| >>>
| >>> Darrell
| >>
| >>
|
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